Archive for the ‘Lansing’ Category

Sinclair completes purchase of WWMT and WLAJ

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Posted 03 Apr 2012 — by Michigan Media
Category Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

Sinclair, WWMT, WLAJSinclair Broadcast Group has closed on its acquisition of Freedom Communications’ broadcast stations. The deal includes WWMT (Channel 3) in Kalamazoo and WLAJ (Channel 53) in Lansing.

Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Monday that it has closed on its acquisition of the Freedom Communications broadcast assets for $385 million. The deal was announced last November.

Sinclair financed the acquisition and a portion of the closing costs with a draw under a recently raised $157.5 million incremental Term Loan A and a $192.5 million incremental Term B Loan commitment under its amended Bank Credit Facility, plus a $38.5 million cash escrow previously paid in November 2011.

 TVNewsCheck

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WILX shuffles news anchor lineup

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Posted 15 Jan 2012 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

David Andrews, Jason Colthorp and Lauren EvansWILX in Lansing will shuffle its news anchor lineup starting on Monday, January 16. David Andrews will anchor mornings from 4:30 to 7 a.m. Jason Colthorp and Lauren Evans will anchor evenings at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.

In one swoop Monday, WILX (Channel 10) will switch all of its weekday anchors.

In recent years, the station has stuck with solo anchors: David Andrews at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Jason Colthorp at 11 p.m., Lauren Evans in the morning. Now:

• Evans moves to evening. She pairs with Colthorp at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

• Andrews does morning, which adds a half-hour. It will be 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., plus cut-ins during “Today.”

Lansing State Journal

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Sinclair buys WWMT and WLAJ

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Posted 02 Nov 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

Freedom CommunicationsSinclair Broadcasting will buy the Freedom Communications TV station group for $385 million. The deal includes WWMT (Channel 3) in Kalamazoo and WLAJ (Channel 53) in Lansing. Sinclair will operate the stations under an LMA until the purchase is approved by regulators.

Sinclair Broadcast Group has agreed to buy the Freedom Communications station group for $385 million. The group includes eight stations.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval, and is expected to close late in the first quarter or early in 2012.

Until that time, Sinclair will operate the stations under a local marketing agreement.

“The combination of the Freedom stations with the Four Points stations would give us two full power stations in the West Palm Beach market, which is Freedom’s largest market,” said David Smith, Sinclair president and CEO. “It is our intent to continue evaluating television station transactions which are accretive and where we can use our expertise and presence to improve profitability and competitive position.”

Broadcasting & Cable

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Gehl joins WLNS as weekend sports anchor

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Posted 02 Nov 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

Kevin GehlYoung Broadcasting’s WLNS in Lansing hired Kevin Gehl as a weekend sports anchor. Gehl was a reporter for a high school sports show on KOFY in San Francisco.

Kevin Gehl will join Lansing CBS-affiliate WLNS in November as the weekend sports anchor.

Since 2009, Gehl has been a reporter for Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, a high school sports show that airs on San Francisco’s KOFY. From 2007 to 2009, he was a reporter and sports anchor at KOMU, the NBC-affiliate in Columbia, MO.

“I graduated from Mizzou and I’m thrilled to be heading back to the Midwest,” Gehl tells TVSpy in an email.

TV Spy

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Nielsen releases new rankings for DMAs

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Posted 31 Aug 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit, Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing, Marquette, Traverse City-Cadillac

NielsenNielsen released new rankings for local television markets. The Detroit, Lansing and Alpena markets did not change. Grand Rapids, Traverse City and Marquette moved down one spot. Flint moved up one spot in the rankings.

Here is an overview of Michigan DMAs:

2010-11
Rank		  – 2011-12
Rank		 - - Difference – DMA Name – 2011
TV Homes		 – 2012
TV Homes
11 11 Detroit 1,883,840 1,842,650
41 42 -1 Grand Rapids-Kalmzoo-B.Crk 740,230 722,150
69 68 +1 Flint-Saginaw-Bay City 455,840 451,880
115 115 Lansing 253,380 252,890
119 120 -1 Traverse City-Cadillac 242,700 244,050
179 180 -1 Marquette 87,670 85,230
208 208 Alpena 17,040 17,100

 

Read the full list here.

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WLNS parent Young Broadcasting is up for sale

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Posted 30 Jun 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

WLNSYoung Broadcasting, the parent company of WLNS (Channel 6) in Lansing, is being quietly offered for sale for as much as $350 million.

Young Broadcasting’s 10-station group is being quietly offered for sale for as much as $350 million, multiple sources tell TVNewsCheck.

A year out of bankruptcy, the station group is widely viewed as financially healthy. The proposed sale appears timed to capitalize on what many anticipate will be a record year for political advertising in 2012.

Young’s asking price represents a multiple of roughly eight times blended projected 2011-12 cash flow, according to several sources familiar with the situation.

One of those sources said Young is looking at 2011 cash flow in the low- to mid-$30 millions range.

TVNewsCheck

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Freedom, MediaNews talks break down

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Posted 15 Jun 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

Freedom CommunicationsBuyout discussions between Freedom Communications and MediaNews Group broke down because of disagreements over price. Freedom owns CBS affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo and ABC affiliate WLAJ in Lansing.

Buyout discussions between the publishers of the Denver Post and Orange County Register broke down recently amid disagreements over price, said people familiar with the matter, as regional newspapers grapple with consolidation efforts to shore up their finances.

Freedom Communications Inc., the Irvine, Calif., company that owns the Register, more than 100 other local newspapers and several television stations, is now turning attention to other possible suitors and could soon sell itself in whole or in pieces, the people said.

People close to MediaNews Group Inc., the Denver Post’s publisher, said the company believes Freedom is worth about $700 million. Still, it remained unclear how much MediaNews offered for Freedom during the recent discussions. People familiar with the situation said it remained possible the two sides could resume talks.

The Wall Street Journal

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Dish Network may drop WSYM in Lansing

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Posted 28 Apr 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

WSYM FOX 47Dish Network may remove WSYM (FOX 47) from their channel lineup in Lansing because of a retransmission dispute between WSYM parent company Journal Broadcast Group and Dish Network.

Dish Network could lose local stations in nine markets at midnight tonight if the satcaster doesn’t sign a new programming pact with the Journal Broadcast Group.

The two sides are battling over carriage rates in the new agreement. Journal Broadcast Group CEO Steve Smith tells NBC 26 in Green Bay, one of the stations affected, that negotiations are up in the air.

“We have granted an extension to that contract, so that Dish can keep our television stations on their system,” said Steve Smith, Chairman and CEO of Journal. “We don’t know if they’re going to accept that extension, so that’s the question. Are we going to be on the Dish Network after Thursday? We don’t know. We hope so.”

TV Predictions

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Top TV ownership groups in Michigan

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Posted 30 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Detroit, Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Lansing

TVNewsCheck and M.C. Alcamo & Co., Inc. assembled a list of the top 30 TV ownership groups in the United States. Out of the top 30 groups, 16 own and operate stations in Michigan. Here are the rankings:

Rank
Group
% TVHH
Michigan Stations
1 Ion Media 64.3 WPXD, WZPX
2 Univision 44
3 Trinity 41.2
4 CBS Television Stations 37.8 WWJ-TV, WKBD
5 Fox Television Stations 37.2 WJBK
6 NBCU Stations 35.8
7 Tribune Broadcasting 35.5 WXMI
8 ABC Owned Stations 22.5 WJRT*, WTVG*
9 Sinclair Broadcast Group 20 WSMH
10 Gannett Broadcasting 18.2 WZZM
11 Hearst Television 18
12 Entravision 17.4
13 Daystar Television 16.9 WUDT
14 Belo Corp. 14.5
15 Raycom Media 12.5 WTOL
16 Liberman Broadcasting 11.2
17 Local TV LLC 10.8
18 Cox Media Group 10.4
19 Scripps Television Group 9.8 WXYZ
20 Meredith Local Media 9.1 WNEM
21 Richard French Stations 9.1
22 Newport Television 8.8
23 Nexstar Broadcasting 8.6
24 LIN Media 8.5 WOOD-TV, WOTV, WXSP, WUPW
25 Media General 8.4
26 Post-Newsweek Stations 7.4 WDIV
27 WLNY 6.5
28 Gray Television 6.3 WILX, WNDU
29 Granite Broadcasting 5.6 WMYD
30 Young Broadcasting 5.4 WLNS
* Pending sale to SJL Broadcasting
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WLNS partners with Jackson Citizen Patriot

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Posted 22 Mar 2011 — by Michigan Media
Category Lansing

WLNSYoung Broadcasting’s WLNS (Channel 6) in Lansing entered into a partnership with the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Lansing’s WLNS has entered into a partnership with a local newspaper–a move that has become increasingly common among TV stations across the country.

WLNS, a CBS-affiliate serving central Michigan, announced this week that it has launched a partnership with the Jackson Citizen Patriot, which will give WLNS greater resources in covering the Jackson area.  Jackson is the second largest city in WLNS’s market behind Lansing.

“The Cit Pat does an excellent job, and we’re proud to partner with them,” said Jam Sardar, news director at WLNS (channel 6). “Now 6 News will give the people of greater Jackson the quality TV coverage they’ve always deserved.”

As part of the agreement, WLNS reporter Abby Grimmett will have a desk within the Citizen Patriot newsroom and serve as the stations’ Jackson bureau.  The arrangement is similar to one recently launched by WTNH, in which the New Haven ABC-affiliate opened a bureau in the newsroom of the Connecticut Post.

TV Spy

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